Thursday, October 28, 2010

Update November 3, 2010: Pat Toomey has been elected as the next Senator from the great state of Pennsylvania.

I just learned (via Twitter) the Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey proposed budget cuts to Federal international education programs as a way to offset some of the cost of the tax cuts he proposes.

On Sunday, October 24th while speaking with Christopher Wallace of Fox News (video below ~ focus on cutting international education programs starts at the 7:17 minute mark), Mr. Toomey stated the following: "You know, we found 75 different programs between the Department of Education and the Department of State that all subsidize one form or another of overseas student travel and student education. That's the kind of waste and duplication that we can rein in."

Watch the latest video at &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://video.foxnews.com/"&amp;amp;gt;video.foxnews.com&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;The day after the Fox News interview, Mr. Toomey was interviewed by Larry Kudlow on CNBC (video below ~ focus on cutting international education programs starts at the 0:26 minute mark) and he [Mr. Toomey] again focused on cutting/consolidating the 75 different international education programs of the Departments of State and Education and stated: "Well, I’d bring an end to bailouts. I would rescind the unspent portion of the stimulus. I would prohibit earmarks…I’d also like to consolidate programs. You know, we discovered 75 different programs between the Departments of State and Education that all subsidize overseas travel for students, in one way or another. It’s ridiculous! We don’t need 75 such programs."

To be sure, Mr. Toomey's views on Federal international education programs is not new. What is new is that a major candidate for the United States Senate has specifically mentioned cutting/consolidating international education programs during two separate interviews on major television outlets only days before the election.

1 comment:

This is frustrating for multiple reasons. Not only does he not understand the larger implications for reducing those funds, but he clearly has no appreciation for how globalized our economy and society are.

International Higher Education Consulting Blog provides timely news and informational pieces, predominately from a U.S. perspective, that are of interest to both the international education and public diplomacy communities. From time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comment and professional dialogue.

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I currently work as the Assistant Provost for Global Education at Columbia College Chicago. Prior to my position at Columbia College, I worked for seventeen years as Associate Director of International Programs at the Booth School of Business, as Senior Adviser
for International Initiatives in The College and as Assistant Director in the
Office of International Affairs, all at The University of Chicago. I also serve as a Study Abroad Research Consultant for the Center for Global Education at California State University at Dominguez Hills. Additionally, I have taught online for The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

I received my B.A. in Spanish and Latin American
Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, my M.S. in
Family Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and my Ph.D. in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies, Comparative and International Education from Loyola University Chicago.

The opinions expressed are my own, and they do not
necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer.